Riding the Regal Marwari

Meet Ablak Rani, the Marawi princess I rode on stunning week-long trek in Rajasthan with Bonnie Dundlod’s namesake Dundlod Safaris.

Just look at her regal stance! Her heels squared at the the halt, her endearing curly ears turned ahead, her soft and giving demeanor. A beauty to behold and a darling to ride.

This photo was taken at the princely fort of Alsisar Mahal, now a hotel, in Shekhawati district of Rajasthan at the end of the ride, of which I earlier posted my GoPro footage.

My photos don’t do justice to Alisasar’s magnificence, so click on this link to be blown away. Meantime, here’s a pic of the shabby dining room:

I wrote about the ride for Mahima Rides’ Nikki Watson, a British-Australian equestrian who organizes riding holidays that help raise funds to support the indigenous Marwari breed. You can see her blog here and read my contribution here.

We began at Dundlod Fort, built in 1750 and owned by Bonnie and other descendants of the Rajput royal who built it. The fort is a treasure trove, with vast wings abandoned complete with whatever was there when the descendants left. It’s a journey through history exploring it. Here’ s a photo of the entrance room, but you need to visit in person to really appreciate it.

My first encounter with Marwaris was in Mumbai, where I lived for four years. They and other indigenous breeds (often mixed with others) were used to cart tourists around the city streets.

The animals were often skinny and obviously overworked, at least to anyone who would take a moment to look. Thankfully, the practice was banned about five years ago, although one wonders what became of the horses when they were no longer a source of income. Here’s a photo of the contraptions that are now banned. Poor horse.

Marwari didn’t feature at the Amateur Riders Club, where my daughter rode in Mumbai and which favored Thoroughbreds.  (I didn’t join. The entrance fee for an expatriate child was close to $1,500 and in another stratosphere again for non-Indian adults….)  But we did encounter Marwaris in Matheran, a hill station a couple of hours from Mumbai that we frequently retreated to from the marvelous megacity.

Matheran is a horse lover’s dream station. Although just 7 square kilometers, a ban on  motorized vehicles means the only modes of transport are human pulled rickshaw, shanks pony or horse back. And that also means it’s very quiet and unpolluted.

Here’s a view on a hot day:

As luck would have it, a couple of polo guys at the Amateur Riders Club, Chirag and Vicki Nihalani, had a family property in Matheran called Salmona, and were willing to make it available. What a (re)treat! They market the place formally as Fleetwood, but I prefer its original tummy bug-sounding name. This blurb from their website sets the scene:

`Apt for nature lovers, travelers and adventurous homosapiens who are in search of experiencing the old world charm and travel back in time. Built in 1871, A quaint Colonial style Villa and a Cottage is placed on a 5 acre property that consists of horse-stables, Temples and other hang out spaces to enjoy the flora and fauna of the wilderness.’

Here’s an image from their web site. It’s not enhanced.

What a  connection! Thanks to the Nihalani’s, we had lovely horses waiting for us when we entered the hill station, saving us the hassle of haggling for nags at the gate. And the stables at the house meant we had horse surround sound. Bliss!

Here’s my daughter Melanie in the warm up piste in front of the house.

Bonnie Dundlod has probably done more than anyone to raise awareness and support of the Marwari, helping set up the Indigenous Horse Society of India to help regenerate the bloodline and advocate for the lifting of an export ban that’s only served to limit the breed.  I can’t wait to go on my next ride with him! Hope to meet you there, too.